RWANDA:Mpore Memoire Justice for Rwandan refugees

A Hutu refugee lady being mutilated by RPF soldiers in DRC

FROM Mpore Memoire Justice
 Hello everyone,

This message is to remind you, the event held this Saturday, July 2, 2011 from 13h to 17h30 at the Parc du Cinquantenaire ASBL Jambo.

Around you, you have several people from the Great Lakes region of Africa and especially in Rwanda that you attend every day and yet you know that many of the important moments in their history.

The event this Saturday, held in conjunction with the International Refugee Day is to educate the public face of one of those moments, namely the stage of life in refugee camps.

The goal is not to bombard you with numbers, names or images of violence experienced by some of the difficulties these people but just to give you time to bring an afternoon costume of a refugee.

To do this, many refugees, young and old who lived in the camps will be there to share their stories with you happy or unhappy lived in these camps.

Several stands playful scenario will also be expected to respond better to some small practical questions you might ask yourself such as "how to organize you one education in the camps? "" How women maintain their intimacy? "" How does one give birth in such unsanitary conditions? "" How to find you one his relatives in the unorganized mass of humanity "and many others.

We hope to see you and avoid the famous saying "it will be for next time" because the opportunity is unique, do not miss :-):-).

The team of Jambo ASBL.

We invite you to circulate this message on your facebook pages to help us make this event a success.

More information about www.mpore.org

Attempted hit on general - trial delayed

• Rwanda conspiracy trial: Witnesses protected
• Nyamwasa accused offered $1m bribe
• NIA hunts foreign death squads

from NEWS24 

Johannesburg - The trial for the shooting of an exiled Rwandan general in South Africa was delayed Thursday after the magistrate fell ill, dragging out the diplomatically sensitive case.

Three Rwandans and three Tanzanians are accused of attempting to kill former Rwandan army chief Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa outside his Johannesburg home on June 19 2010.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
"I'm telling you this case is jinxed," said South African prosecutor Shaun Abrahams of a trial that has been repeatedly delayed because of translation troubles, faulty court equipment and on Thursday a sick judge.
The state's first witness, Rwandan national Kalisa Mubarak, began testifying about the events that took place on the day of the shooting, but the magistrate cut short the hearing after less than an hour.
Mubarak testified on Wednesday that one of the accused, Rwandan national Amani Uriwani, had told him that Rwandan "military men" from Europe with lots of cash and cars had asked for help "to shoot at a military person".
The key suspect in the case is Rwandan businessman Pascal Kanyandekwe, who allegedly offered South African police a bribe of one million dollars when they arrested him in July 2010.
He is also accused of plotting to kill Nyamwasa while he was hospitalised after the shooting.
Kanyandekwe and four men linked to the hospital plot are expected to appear in a separate case in the Johannesburg Magistrates court next month.
Nyamwasa has kept a low profile since the shooting. His driver, Rwandan national Richard Bachisa, has also been charged in the case, along with Tanzanians Hassann Mohammedi Nduli, Sady Abdou and Hemedi Denengo Sefu.
The case has strained relations between South Africa and Rwanda, which wants to bring Nyamwasa home to serve a 24-year prison sentence after a military court convicted him in absentia of desertion, defamation and threatening state security.
Spain and France are both seeking to extradite him for his alleged role in the Rwandan genocide, in which 800 000 people were killed.
He has denied the charges.

- SAPA

‘Rwandan general shooting orchestrated in Europe

---

NYAMWASA IN HOSPITAL IN SA

The attempted killing in Johannesburg of Rwanda's exiled former army chief was orchestrated by well-heeled Rwandan soldiers living in Europe, a witness told a South African court on Wednesday.

Six men went on trial Wednesday for the shooting of Faustin Nyamwasa, Rwanda's former top general, at his home in Johannesburg in June 2010.

Nyamwasa had arrived in South Africa four months earlier, after abandoning his post as ambassador to India, amid allegations of corruption and a falling-out with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

A week before the shooting, one of the accused, Rwandan national Amani Uriwani, said that Rwandan “military men” from Europe with lots of cash and cars had asked for his help “to shoot at a military person”, according to witness Kalisa Mubarak.

“He said they are Rwandese from Europe. They also want to shoot another Rwandese,” said Mubarak, an immigrant who runs a hair salon in central Johannesburg.

Mubarak told the court that Uriwani said he had been offered 10,000 rand ($1,500, 1,000 euros) to take part in the attack.

Three Tanzanians and three Rwandans have been charged with attempted murder. All six have pleaded not guilty.

The case has strained relations between South Africa and Rwanda, which wants to bring Nyamwasa home to serve a 24-year prison sentence after a military court tried him in absentia on charges of desertion, defamation and threatening state security.

Nyamwasa was tried with three other former top officials who co-authored a document slamming what they said was the repression of freedoms in Rwanda since Kagame's arrival in power in 1994.

He also faces terrorism charges for allegedly masterminding grenade attacks last year in Kigali in the run-up to presidential elections.

Nyamwasa's presence in South Africa has caused diplomatic headaches for Pretoria.

Spain and France are both seeking to extradite him for his alleged role in the Rwandan genocide, in which 800,000 people were killed. He has denied the charges. -

Sapa-AFP

Rwanda Rwacu (original Rwanda National Anthem)

Click here for the sing a long lyrics and video

by Habimana Rukundo

Rwanda rwacu, Rwanda gihugu cyambyaye,
Ndakuratan'ishyaka n'ubutwali.
Iyo nibuts'ibi gwi wagize kugez'ubu,
nshimira Abarwanashyaka bazanye Repubulika idahinyuka.
Bavandimwe b'u ru Rwanda rwacu twese nimuhaguruke:
Turubumbatire mu mahoro, mukuli, mu bwigenge no mu bwumvikane.

Impundu ni zivuge mu Rwandahose:
Republika yaku y'ubuhake,
Ubukolonize bwagiye nk'ifun'iheze.
Shing' umuzi Demokarasi
Waduhaye kwitorera abategetsi.
Banyarwanda: abakuru
Namw'abato mwizihiy'u Rwanda:
Turubumbatire mu mahoro, mu kuli,
Mu bwigenge no mu bwumvikane.

Bavuka Rwandamwese muvuz'impundu,
Demokarasi yarwo iraganje.
Twayiharaniye rwose twes'uko tungana.
Gatutsi, Gatwa na gahutu
Namwe banyarwanda bandi mwabyiyemeje,
Indepandansi twatsindiye
Twese hamwe tuyishyikire:
Turubumbatire mu mahoro, mu kuli,
Mu bwigenge no mu bwumvikane.

Nimucyo dusingiz'Ibendera ryacu.
Arakabaho na Prezida wacu.
Barakabahw' abaturage b'iki Gihugu.
Intego yacu Banyarwanda
Twishyire kandi twizane mu Rwanda rwacu.
Twese hamwe, twung'ubumwe
Nta mususu duter'imbere ko:
Turubumbatire mu mahoro, mu kuli,
Mu bwigenge no mu bwumvikane.

RWANDA:shooting of Rwandan exiled in South Africa

By Associated Press from Washington Post

Paul Kagame and RPF Soldiers

JOHANNESBURG — One of the men accused of trying to kill a former Rwandan general exiled in South Africa said that Rwandan soldiers with plenty of cash and cars were behind the plot, a friend testified Wednesday.
The testimony came on the second day of trial in the June 2010 shooting of Lt. Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa. The former Rwandan military chief went into exile just months before he was attacked in Johannesburg.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s government has denied allegations of involvement in the case. However, witnesses in the trial have asked for special protection, saying they fear the Rwandan government.
Kalisa Mubarak, a 36-year-old Rwandan who immigrated to South Africa in 2003, testified Wednesday that he has known one of the six suspects since they were children.
He said that former Rwandan soldier Amani Uriwani told him about being recruited by some European-based Rwandans to help with a job in Johannesburg.
Mubarak said his friend would only say the target was also a soldier, and he tried to talk Uriwani out of taking part. Uriwani was offered 10,000 rand (about $1,400) for his part in the attack, according to his friend’s testimony.
Prosecutors say Mubarak has been moved with his wife and three children to a secret location under a witness protection program.
Two body guards sat nearby as he testified in English and Kinyarwanda. He wore dark glasses and sat in the witness stand with his chin sunk in a black-and-white checked scarf draped around his neck.
Three Rwandans and three Tanzanians are accused of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other charges in Nyamwasa’s shooting.
Nyamwasa and other Rwandans living abroad have accused the president of crushing dissent and democracy after he helped to end the 1994 genocide that left more than 500,000 people dead in Rwanda.
In May, British police warned some Rwandan exiles living in the U.K. that their lives were in danger, and the threat is believed to have emanated from the Rwandan government.
Human rights groups say opposition politicians, journalists and civil society activists have been subjected to crackdowns inside Rwanda as well.
The key suspect in the South Africa case is Pascal Kanyandekwe, a Rwandan businessman. He’s also accused of plotting to kill Nyamwasa while the general was hospitalized after the shooting.
Kanyandekwe and four men not linked to the shooting are to stand trial in the hospital plot later this month. He also is accused of bribery after two police officers said he offered them $1 million to let him go when they arrested him in July 2010.
The shooting victim, who has kept a low profile since the June 2010 attack, also faces international war crimes charges linked to the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide — allegations he denies.
Nyamwasa and other senior Tutsis are accused of waging an extermination campaign against Hutus in the chaotic aftermath of Rwanda’s genocide — charges that Nyamwasa denies.
A Spanish judge in 2008 charged Nyamwasa and 39 other members of the Rwandan military with the mass killings of civilians after they seized power in Rwanda.
A U.N. report last year echoed the 2008 Spanish charges, accusing invading Rwandan troops of killing tens of thousands of Hutus in 1996 and 1997 in neighboring Congo.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Britain Suspends President Kagame’s Visit

Queen Elizabeth warns Rwanda of its dubious diplomatic Incidences

From UMUVUGIZI NEWSPAPER
The British government has surprisingly suspended President Paul Kagame’s planned  visit which was schedule to take place between July 18 and 24th.  During the same visit, Kagame was expected to feature as the guest of honour at a Rwandan youth convention known as Itorero.
Reliable sources confirm that Rwandan Diaspora in the United Kingdom is preparing to foot the expenses incurred in organising the halted presidential visit to the UK.
The suspended planned visit comes days after the British government warned Kigali authorities against political activities carried out by Rwanda’s ruling party the RPF on British soil which are said to be targeting Rwandan refugees living in the country.
Recently, the British Scotland yard Police and M15 sent a warning notice to members of Rwandan opposition living in UK, warning them of possible security threats. The same police sent a warning to Rwanda’s Embassy in the UK  informing them that  tough diplomatic measures would be taken if  members of the mission don’t stop in activities incompatible  with their status .
A former Rwandan military intelligence official living in Belgium was suspected of involvement  in similar incidences and he was stopped from entering the UK . Another Rwandan spy, one Rubagumya was also arrested in Uganda on related Incidences .
All these events follow a series of meetings held by Rwanda’s key security officials around Europe. One of such meetings was held on January 15 in London chaired by the Chief Spy Colonel. Dr. Emmanuel Ndahiro, in attendance was Rwandan Ambassador to Britain Ernest Rwamucyo, others at the meeting were Rwandan security operatives Jimmy Uwizeye, Col. Mupenzi , Linda, Lt. Tom Rwabugiri, and the representative of the Rwandan Diaspora in Britain Mr. Mugabo.
Despite different pieces of evidence attained by British secret services implicating Rwandan Government in dubious activities  against its critics in UK, ,president Kagame recently dramatically denied he’s Government’s Involvement in these  allegations and instead  accused respected British security services of not being professional .
Although UK is one of Rwanda’s key donors, it has maintained that it’s  support is strictly based on mutual interests of respecting universal jurisdiction ,Freedom of press , Freedom of expression and respecting value of citizens.
Suspending President Kagame’s visit sends a strong warning that the donor community and the entire European continent is interested in seeing a responsible government in Rwanda that is accountable to the citizens rather than one that is bent on using the donors’ money in expanding the spy network that is cracking down its citizens in exile.
Johnson , Europe .

RWANDA: MOVEMENT OF AFRICANS DETERMINED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT KAGAME'S CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND GENOCIDE

RPF SOLDIERS MUTILATING A HUTU WOMAN

Basic Information

Founded	2010
Location	New York, NY
About	Nobody denies that Hutus killed Tutsis in 1994, but a lot of people deny that renegade Tutsis killed massive numbers of Hutus and others from 1990 to the present.

Company Overview	Non-profit grass-roots organization of Africans in or from the Great Lakes region (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo) and others who seek justice and renewal in that region, working via internet and other means to show who is REALLY denying genocide.
Description	We refuse to let mass-murderers and their apologists co-opt the term "genocide denial". We will point out every case in which they they deny their own guilt. Their guilt is well established by the UN Mapping Report (suppressed for years until leaked) and earlier documents. As a technical term, "genocide" is closely defined as being planned and aiming at exterminating a particular group. Common...ly, however, people call any mass killing in which most of the victims are members of a particular group a "genocide". We insist that the international courts indict and try those responsible for those other "genocides" from 1990 to the present, and we accuse those who shirk this of committing "genocide denial".See More
General Information	Non-profit grass-roots organization of Africans in or from the Great Lakes region (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo) and others who seek justice and renewal in that region.
Mission	To make people aware that the "accepted" story of "the" genocide in Rwanda is perpetuated by people who deny other genocides before, during, and after 1944.
Products	Information and confrontation.

USA:RACISM IN AMERICA

From GOOD CULTURE
People talk a lot about the racism that poisons the criminal justice system, sending African-Americans to jail more often than white criminals, and with longer and harsher sentences. But what about "colorism"? If you don't know, colorism is the sub-prejudice that finds people treating people of color differently based on how light or dark their skin is. Though it's rarely talked about, colorism is a major cause for concern in courtrooms around the United States, according to a new study.
Called "The Impact of Light Skin on Prison Time for Black Female Offenders," the study found a group of Villanova professors assessing the sentences of more than 12,000 black female defendants in North Carolina. Their findings were horrifying: Even after controlling for things like prior convictions, crime severity, and thinness, women with light skin received sentences that were 12 percent shorter on average than dark-skinned women. Lighter women also had their actual time served reduced by about 11 percent.
Colorism doesn't just impact criminals, either. Another study, this one from the University of Georgia in 2006, found that skin tone was even more important than education when it came to employer satisfaction with black job applicants. The message this sends is that the closer you are to white, the better you are—both morally and professionally, evidently

In Rwanda: What to expect from the divided RPF “family”.

From RWANDANEWS

Tutsi Soldiers mutilating a Hutu young lady in DRC 1997

As the saying goes, when two elephants fight it is the grass that suffers. The feud between Kayumba Nyamwasa et al. and Paul Kagame is likely to have a far from pleasant end. The peasants might once again be entangled into a conflict they little understand and as a result, forced to pay a heavy price.

The wrangle between the two heavyweights seems to have reached a point of no return. What is now left is a dog-eats-dog strategy, or an equivalent of the Darwinian survival for the fittest. This was the message directly implied when Kayumba was shot last year in the streets of Johannesburg. Kayumba and his family believe that the government is still trying to kill them. For Mr. Kagame, actions speak louder than words!

But is Kayumba hitting back as well? This is hard to tell. At the moment, there is no clear evidence that this might be the case, although the Rwandan government has accused him of forming terror zones within the country. Knowing that Kayumba was the chief of the Rwandan army for many years, and is still said to be very popular among the ranks of the military, everything is possible. Moreover, some claim that he enjoys very strong ties with the Ugandan government. The thought of him mobilizing a fighting force, no doubt exaggerated at the moment, is not a complete impossibility.

As of yesterday, the government of Rwanda claims to have arrested five dissidents, including a colonel in the Rwandan army. They are accused of planning sabotage attacks against Rwanda under Kayumba’s authority. Of course, such accusations need to be taken with a pinch of salt. After all, these are the exact same charges that are always leveled on political dissidents in Rwanda. If so, it might be the case of a boy crying wolf.

As expected, Kayumba’s vehemently denied any links to the arrested individuals. Because this is the first time that an insider of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) is wrestling with the regime, it might be hard to tell where the truth lies.

We know that an investigative report released by the United Nations earlier this month refuted any links between Kayumba et al and other fighting groups based in the DRC such as FDLR and RUD Urunana. We also know that it is in Kagame’s best interest to portray Kayumba as a military trouble maker who is threatening Tutsi hegemony by collaborating with Hutu extremists. In Kagame’s threatening words, he is “excrement” that must be eliminated from the body.

As I said in my post earlier, these are troubling times in Rwanda. The “warrior refugees” that once won the praise of Philip Gourevtitch now have guns pointed at each other. They threaten the stability of a country they fought for and some of them have already been exiled again. It is not a pretty sight.

To be honest, Kayumba’s opposition to Kagame bears more hope for democracy than an event in Rwanda’s recent history. Kayumba has challenged Kagame’s totalitarian control in a way that leaves the man humbled. He often likes to say that, “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. By extension, Kayumba, at least in rhetoric, wants the RPF to undergo a process of reformation; which will allow for competitive politics.

Part of Kayumba’s problem with the RPF party is that Kagame has personalized it. He has built a personality cult akin to that of the late Juvenal Habyarimana. As such, Kayumba and other RPF compatriots feel their vision betrayed. They are longing for change.

It needs to be emphasized that the RPF, under Paul Kagame, has been a major stumbling block to democratic reform. They have established complete control over the military, the church and the civil society. They are like the despot king who must die in order for democracy to arise. We also need to be aware that Kayumba et al. were the yesterday’s champions of this corrupted system. But human being can learn from their mistakes. And there are few untainted hands in Rwanda.

I may not be a fan of Kayumba et al., but I think they deserve a chance. After all, they are Rwandans as well and their love for the country is evident. So far, they have been busy trying to spearhead for reconciliation among the Diaspora of Hutus and Tutsis. They efforts seem to be wielding success. In particular, Theogene Rudasingwa, the group’s most vocal member, has shown the willingness to acknowledge the crimes committed by the RPF against Hutu civilians. This is a BIG and unprecedented step—one that needs to be celebrated. By any indications, Rudasingwa looks like a reformed man who is hungry for peace and reconciliation. Rwanda desperately needs more of his kind.

I view the confrontations as a necessary step for Rwanda’s rebirth. It is completely disheartening to think that the peasants will once again bear the brunt. However, can there be gain without pain? Are the peasants better off under a cruel dictatorship? I welcome comments from my readers

‘Plot to strangle Rwandan in SA hospital’

By Donna Bryson from IOLNEWS

---

NYAMWASA AND KAREGEYA

First a gunman shot the exiled Rwandan army general. When he survived, prosecutors say the people who wanted him dead plotted to strangle him in his South African hospital bed.

Prosecutors won't say whether they believe Rwandan President Paul Kagame's government was behind the attack carried out in another corner of the continent.

But on Tuesday as the trial began, prosecutors disclosed that key witnesses are now under special protection in South Africa because they fear the Rwandan government.

Rwandan authorities have angrily denied the allegations of involvement in the June 2010 attack on Lt. Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, and have even hired a South African lawyer to monitor the court proceedings this week in Johannesburg.

“The government of Rwanda doesn't have anything to hide. They're not involved in this,” their lawyer Gerhard van der Merwe told The Associated Press.

Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams refused to say Tuesday whether his case would implicate the Rwandan government. He said the evidence will speak for itself during the complex trial, which is being conducted in English and translated into three other languages:

French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda.

The shooting victim, who has kept a low profile since the June 2010 attack, also faces international war crimes charges linked to the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide - allegations he denies.

Nyamwasa was once Rwanda's military chief before he fell out with the president and went into exile in South Africa last year. He and several other top Kagame aides have since been convicted in absentia on charges that include threatening state security.

Now three Rwandans and three Tanzanians are accused of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other charges in Nyamwasa's shooting in South Africa. They each pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday.

Nyamwasa and other Rwandans living abroad have accused the president of crushing dissent and democracy after he helped to end the 1994 genocide that left more than 500,000 people dead in Rwanda.

In May, British police warned some Rwandan exiles living in the UK that their lives were in danger, and the threat is believed to have emanated from the Rwandan government.

Human rights activists also charged last year that Rwanda's Tutsi-led government was pursuing Hutus in neighboring Uganda. Rwanda's government denied involvement in a series of attacks on Hutu Rwandans in Uganda.

Human rights groups say opposition politicians, journalists and civil society activists have been subjected to crackdowns inside Rwanda as well. Earlier this year, in a case Human Rights Watch said was politically motivated,

Rwanda's High Court sentenced an opposition leader to four years in prison on charges of endangering national security, attempting to organize unauthorized protests and inciting ethnic divisions.

The key suspect in the South Africa case is Pascal Kanyandekwe, a Rwandan businessman. He's also accused of plotting to kill Nyamwasa while the general was hospitalized after the shooting.

Kanyandekwe and four men not linked to the shooting are to stand trial in the hospital plot later this month. He also is accused of bribery after two police officers said he offered them $1 million to let him go when they arrested him in July 2010.

The other two Rwandans accused in the case are Nyamwasa's driver and a former Rwandan soldier, according to prosecutors.

While Nyamwasa portrays himself as a champion of democracy and is a victim in the trial that opened Tuesday, he also faces serious criminal charges.

He and other senior Tutsis are accused of waging an extermination campaign against Hutus in the chaotic aftermath of Rwanda's genocide -charges that Nyamwasa denies.

A Spanish judge in 2008 charged Nyamwasa and 39 other members of the Rwandan military with the mass killings of civilians after they seized power in Rwanda.

A U.N. report last year echoed the 2008 Spanish charges, accusing invading Rwandan troops of killing tens of thousands of Hutus in 1996 and 1997 in neighboring Congo.

South African refugee and human rights groups have gone to court to try to have Nyamwasa's asylum status stripped because of the allegations.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, the groups acknowledge it might not be safe for Nyamwasa to return to Rwanda and instead proposed that he be tried in South Africa. -

Sapa-AP

Rwanda: Police manhunt for an opposition member in Gisagara District, Southern Province.

Written by FDU committee

Ingabire Victore-FDU

On 6^th June 2011, FDU-Inkingi informed the public about a spree of night gun murders in parts of Rwanda and particularly in Gisagara District (Southern Province). The police accused the opposition party of trying to rush to the media before reporting the incidents. Since then, a police manhunt for an FDU-Inkingi opposition member, Mr. Jean Bosco Hanganimana, resident of Gisagara District started. From the 25^th June, deployments of mobile police and night army patrols sent residents of Higiro location (Sector Nyanza, Gisagara District) in panic.

 

That same day, the Executive of Higiro location, Madame Niwebasa Assumpta, expelled Mr. Jean Bosco Hanganimana, FDU-Inkingi member, from the Umuganda community work in Nyanza sector and stated that “nobody should worry about what will happen to that FDLR supporter and to those opposed to the ruling RPF”. At 16:00, the police searched his house and failed to arrest him. At 20:00, with no search warrant, 6 army men , a local defence staff and a civilian night patrol stormed his house, searched and arrested his wife who was later released.

Many months before on 12^th November 2010, the police abducted Mr. Jean Bosco Hanganimana from the hospital and detained him for 19 days for unknown charges. There were allegations of abuse and torture. He was reportedly attacked because he belongs to the opposition party FDU-Inkingi.

The party FDU-Inkingi is calling upon the Government to investigate and to ensure that the local autorities and security services respect the basic rights of citizens.

FDU-Inkingi
Twagirimana Boniface
Interim Vice President

Trial starts in shooting of Rwandan in S.Africa

From MSNBC by Donna Bryson

AP-JOHANNESBURG — First a gunman shot the exiled Rwandan army general. When he survived, prosecutors say the people who wanted him dead plotted to strangle him in his South African hospital bed.

Prosecutors won't say whether they believe Rwandan President Paul Kagame's government was behind the attack carried out in another corner of the continent.
But on Tuesday as the trial began, prosecutors disclosed that key witnesses are now under special protection in South Africa because they fear the Rwandan government.
Rwandan authorities have angrily denied the allegations of involvement in the June 2010 attack on Lt. Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, and have even hired a South African lawyer to monitor the court proceedings this week in Johannesburg.
"The government of Rwanda doesn't have anything to hide. They're not involved in this," their lawyer Gerhard van der Merwe told The Associated Press.
Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams refused to say Tuesday whether his case would implicate the Rwandan government. He said the evidence will speak for itself during the complex trial, which is being conducted in English and translated into three other languages: French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda.
The shooting victim, who has kept a low profile since the June 2010 attack, also faces international war crimes charges linked to the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide — allegations he denies.

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Nyamwasa was once Rwanda's military chief before he fell out with the president and went into exile in South Africa last year. He and several other top Kagame aides have since been convicted in absentia on charges that include threatening state security.
Now three Rwandans and three Tanzanians are accused of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other charges in Nyamwasa's shooting in South Africa. They each pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday.
Nyamwasa and other Rwandans living abroad have accused the president of crushing dissent and democracy after he helped to end the 1994 genocide that left more than 500,000 people dead in Rwanda.
In May, British police warned some Rwandan exiles living in the UK that their lives were in danger, and the threat is believed to have emanated from the Rwandan government.
Human rights activists also charged last year that Rwanda's Tutsi-led government was pursuing Hutus in neighboring Uganda. Rwanda's government denied involvement in a series of attacks on Hutu Rwandans in Uganda.
Human rights groups say opposition politicians, journalists and civil society activists have been subjected to crackdowns inside Rwanda as well. Earlier this year, in a case Human Rights Watch said was politically motivated,
Rwanda's High Court sentenced an opposition leader to four years in prison on charges of endangering national security, attempting to organize unauthorized protests and inciting ethnic divisions.
The key suspect in the South Africa case is Pascal Kanyandekwe, a Rwandan businessman. He's also accused of plotting to kill Nyamwasa while the general was hospitalized after the shooting.
Kanyandekwe and four men not linked to the shooting are to stand trial in the hospital plot later this month. He also is accused of bribery after two police officers said he offered them $1 million to let him go when they arrested him in July 2010.
The other two Rwandans accused in the case are Nyamwasa's driver and a former Rwandan soldier, according to prosecutors.
While Nyamwasa portrays himself as a champion of democracy and is a victim in the trial that opened Tuesday, he also faces serious criminal charges.
He and other senior Tutsis are accused of waging an extermination campaign against Hutus in the chaotic aftermath of Rwanda's genocide — charges that Nyamwasa denies.

A Spanish judge in 2008 charged Nyamwasa and 39 other members of the Rwandan military with the mass killings of civilians after they seized power in Rwanda.
A U.N. report last year echoed the 2008 Spanish charges, accusing invading Rwandan troops of killing tens of thousands of Hutus in 1996 and 1997 in neighboring Congo.
South African refugee and human rights groups have gone to court to try to have Nyamwasa's asylum status stripped because of the allegations.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, the groups acknowledge it might not be safe for Nyamwasa to return to Rwanda and instead proposed that he be tried in South Africa.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Kagame's critics keep eye on SA trial

From News24

Johannesburg - Critics of Rwandan President Paul Kagame will be watching an attempted murder trial that started on Tuesday in South Africa for evidence the east African leader tried to have a former general killed.

Three Rwandans and three Tanzanians are accused of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other charges in the June 2010 shooting of Lieutenant General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, once Kagame's military chief.

They each pleaded not guilty on Tuesday at the start of a trial that required French, Swahili and Kinyarwanda translation, and that drew an observer for the Rwandan embassy and family members for the accused and the victim.

Since the Kagame and Nyamwasa fell out and the former general left for exile in South Africa last year, Nyamwasa has joined other Rwandans living abroad in accusing Kagame of crushing dissent and democracy after helping to end the 1994 genocide during which extremist Hutus killed more than 500 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda.

Rwanda-South Africa relations strained

Rwandan dissidents accuse Kagame's government of being behind the attack on Nyamwasa, charges that it has angrily denied.

The case has strained Rwandan-South African relations, but officials here have refused to say whether they believe Nyamwasa was the target of an official assassination attempt.

Evidence on that point might form part of the trial.

Suspicions have fallen on Kagame's government elsewhere. It emerged in May that British police had warned some Rwandan exiles living in Britain that their lives were in danger, and the threat is believed to have emanated from the Rwandan government.

In Rwanda, human rights groups say opposition politicians, journalists and civil society activists have been subjected to crackdowns.

Suspect in suit and tie

Earlier this year, in a case Human Rights Watch said was politically motivated, Rwanda's High Court sentenced an opposition leader to four years in prison and fined three others opposition figures convicted of endangering national security, attempting to organise unauthorised protests and inciting ethnic divisions.

In the Nyamwasa case, the key suspect is Pascal Kanyandekwe, a Rwandan businessman and the only suspect to appear on Tuesday in a suit and tie.

In addition to charges stemming from the shooting, Kanyandekwe is accused of plotting to kill Nyamwasa while the general was hospitalised after the shooting.

Kanyandekwe and four men not linked to the shooting are to stand trial in the hospital plot later this month.

Kanyandekwe also is accused of bribery after two police officers said he offered them $1m to let them go when they arrested him in July 2010. Kanyandekwe allegedly left South Africa after the murder attempt on Nyamwasa and was arrested at Johannesburg's OR Tambo Airport upon his return.

The other two Rwandans accused are the general's driver and another had been a Rwandan soldier, according to prosecutors.

Rwanda wants accused home

In May, Nyamwasa and three other men who had once been top aides to Kagame were convicted in absentia by a Rwandan military court of disturbing public order, threatening state security, sectarianism and criminal conspiracy.

Rwanda has demanded the four be sent home to be imprisoned, but the countries where they have found refuge - South Africa and the United States - have made no move to hand them over.

While Nyamwasa portrays himself as a champion of democracy and is a victim in the case that opened Tuesday in a downtown Johannesburg court room, he and other senior Tutsis are accused of waging an extermination campaign against Hutus in the chaotic aftermath of Rwanda's genocide.

A Spanish judge in 2008 charged Nyamwasa and 39 other members of the Rwandan military with the mass killings of civilians after they seized power in Rwanda.

A UN report last year echoed the 2008 Spanish charges, accusing invading Rwandan troops of killing tens of thousands of Hutus in 1996 and 1997.

South African refugee and human rights groups have gone to court to try to have Nyamwasa's asylum status stripped because of the allegations, which the general denies.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, the refugee and rights groups acknowledge it might not be safe for Nyamwasa to return to Rwanda. The groups suggest instead he be tried in South Africa.

- SAPA

Rwanda: Police manhunt for an opposition member in Gisagara District, Southern Province

by Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza for President

 On 6th June 2011, FDU-Inkingi informed the public about a spree of night gun murders in parts of Rwanda and particularly in Gisagara District (Southern Province). The police accused the opposition party of trying to rush to the media before reporting the incidents.
 Since then, a police manhunt for an FDU-Inkingi opposition member, Mr. Jean Bosco Hanganimana, resident of Gisagara District started.  From the 25th June, deployments of mobile police and night army patrols sent residents of Higiro location (Sector Nyanza, Gisagara District) in panic.
 That same day, the Executive of Higiro location, Madame Niwebasa Assumpta, expelled Mr. Jean Bosco Hanganimana, FDU-Inkingi member, from the Umuganda community work in Nyanza sector and stated that “nobody should worry about what will happen to that FDLR supporter and to those opposed to the ruling RPF”. At 16:00, the police searched his house and failed to arrest him. At 20:00, with nosearch warrant, 6 army men , a local defence staff and a civilian night patrol stormed his house, searched and arrested his wife who was later released.
 Many months before on 12th November 2010, the police abducted Mr. Jean Bosco Hanganimana from the hospital and detained him for 19 days for unknown charges. There were allegations of abuse and torture. He was reportedly attacked because he belongs to the opposition party FDU-Inkingi.
 The party FDU-Inkingi is calling upon the Government to investigate and to ensure that the local autorities and security services respect the basic rights of citizens.

FDU-Inkingi
Twagirimana Boniface
Interim Vice President

President Habyarimana protected Tutsis between October 1990 and April 1994 as much as he could

by therisingcontinent

Peter Erlinder, the American lawyer that Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, imprisoned for three weeks in Kigali on May 28, 2010 has unveiled not well known truth about the prevailing political and security context of Rwanda prior to April 1994 in an article titled The UN Security Council ad hoc Rwanda tribunal: international justice or judicially-constructed “victor’s impunity”?]. The document was published in the De Paul Journal of Social Justice in the fall of 2010. It reveals some facts significantly worth highlighting, particularly for those that RPF propaganda has lied to for years. Among those lies one is about the former president Habyarimana and his regime’s relationship with Tutsis inside Rwanda particularly during the RPF guerrilla war which lasted almost three years and half, from October 1, 2010 to July 4, 1994.

Habyarimana Juvenal, the Rwandan President 1973-1994

Despite the troubled and war time that the country experienced between October 1, 1990, date of RPF invasion of Rwanda from Uganda, and the day he died on April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana demonstrated a humanity towards Tutsis inside Rwanda that RPF would not dare to credit him for, because this would deprive Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, of claiming that he has been their saviour. Having said that, Robert Flatten, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda who was in Kigali during most of the RPF guerrilla war, paints a portrait of Habyarimana’s security measures which significantly limited the impact of the war on Tutsis while he was still alive:
“…leaders from all sides have begun to realize the more terrifying implications of an RPF march to Kigali. No matter how many Hutus the RPF may have representing it, it is perceived in Rwanda as an essentially Tutsi organisation. Should this group break through to Kigali, all the fears of the Hutu majority of again being subjected to slavery or feudal vassalage will be resurfaced. When threatened with the restoration of the feudal system, the Hutus on the collines (hills) will begin to eliminate their Tutsi neighbours. When this happened in 1990….Habyarimana sent an army unit to stop it. When it happened in Bugesera in March 1992, the Gendarmes eventually arrived to encourage the restoration of calm. This was done with an administration and communications in place, neither of which would be the case should Kigali fall to the RPF.”
The assassination on April 6, 1994 of the two Presidents, Habyarimana of Rwanda and Ntaryamira of Burundi, when the aeroplane they were travelling in was shot down while attempting to land at Kanombe airport, was interpreted in many Rwandans’ understanding as the fall of Kigali in the hands of the attacker of the country – the Rwandan Patriotic Front of Paul Kagame. Ultimately Robert Flatten’s predictions became reality: Hutus on hills fearing a restoration of the feudal system and being subjected again to slavery, began eliminating their Tutsi neighbours.
The same way there is nothing like experience, as well there is nothing like bad experience. It is usually said that we learn from our past. But when it’s from an inconvenient one, our learning becomes unfortunate for those who turn into its victims. Peter Erlinder explains:
“The former Rwandan Tutsi aristocracy faced discrimination as foreigners in Uganda, and many of the children of the displaced Rwandan-Tutsi aristocracy (including a teenage Paul Kagame) threw their lot in with the National Resistance Army (NRA) of Yoweri Museveni, who led armed rebellion against the elected government of President Milton Obote that took some 500,000 lives between 1981 and 1986, particularly in the Luwero Triangle.”
Early 1994, the CIA Kigali desk predicted that between 300,000 and 500,000 lives would perish if President Habyarimana was killed. Such predictions were apparently based on the prevailing political and security situation in Rwanda and the whole region. The main supporting factor was particularly the impact of the assassination in October 1993 by Tutsi military extremists of the ever first Hutu President who had been democratically elected in neighbouring sister country of Burundi.
They had done it in the Triangle of Luwero a few years before. And as a consequence Yoweri Museveni got into power in 1986. If with a similar scenario of getting a near close number of casualties, they could get this time power in Rwanda, what could stop them? Paul Kagame and his RPF rebel movement played their cards and got the expected reward: leading the country since July 4, 1994. Now, they and their U.S. and U.K. friends have worked hard since to blame Hutus for most of the killings which occurred starting from the RPF’s invasion of Rwanda from Uganda. But truth and time are catching with the liars.
No one contests the occurrence of the Rwandan genocide. The only cloud remains around the narrative of Kigali about what happened and how events unfolded. The Rwandan government’s story has only so far served to protect its promoters from being prosecuted. On October 2009 the conclusion of the three judges’ panel at the ICTR in Militarly-I 98-41-T cleared of any conspiracy to commit genocide the four most sought after and supposedly master-minders. The judges’ conclusion implies that there are the real planners of the Rwandan genocide out there who are still enjoying impunity.
The 500,000 lives which were killed in the Luwero Triangle between 1981 and 1986 seem to have gone down in history without any justice since President Joweri Museveni of Uganda who was leading the NRA rebel at the time has today spent 25 years in power benefiting from total impunity. The UN Mapping Report has made some dent in Kagame’s impunity about his numerous crimes since his time in Uganda as Chief Intelligence. However, there is a long way to go to make him accountable for his whole responsibility in the Rwandan genocide and many other crimes which characterise his personality. It is ironic how those among leaders in the Great Lakes who behaved humanly ended up and the criminals who got the upper hand. Evil has so far triumphed against good. Let’s hope for the better.

Bikindi Simon Sung about Equality among Rwandans a Witness said in Arusha

A defense witness said on Wednesday before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the musician Simon Bikindi, accused of inciting the genocide of Tutsis through his work, sang rather equality between Rwandans.The protected witness "XBR", a Tutsi, was a member of ballet led by Imbonezamihigo Bikindi in the 1980s.XBR was part of the group that played the song "Twasereye ingoma ago CYAM" (We said goodbye to the feudal system) to mark the 25th anniversary of the independence of Rwanda in 1987.The ICTR prosecutor said at least three of Bikindi's songs, including "Twasezereye ingoma CYAM ago," were the components of the plan of genocide.

 The prosecution alleges that the works of Bikindi incited hatred against Tutsis and inviting people to attack them and kill them because of their ethnicity.

 The witness, who sang in front of the room a piece of "Twasezereye ingoma CYAM ago," said the message in the song was more that 25 years after independence, "the country was at peace and the Hutus, Tutsi and Twa were equal. "
The witness said the message was clear and that the group did not need the help of Bikindi to grasp its scope. "We understood the message. It was only expressing the fact that this was no longer a monarchy in which many people had suffered, "said XBR.
Entering further into the matter, the witness indicated that a portion of the text says: "Dear Rwandans, come see the new Rwanda where Hutus, Tutsis and Twas are equal. The whip, forced labor are not. We answer these, young and old, we are close to open for the development of Rwanda "According to XBR, "the message reflected the reality of the country. Hutu, Tutsi, Twa were equal. "

 The official history of Rwanda before 1994 refers to the enslavement of Hutus by Tutsis before independence. The witness further stated that Bikindi was not a politician. His lawyers argue that his only passion was music. Bikindi was represented by Mr Andreas O'Shea the Bar of England and Wales and Jean de Dieu Momo Bar Cameroon.

 By introducing the witnesses Monday, Mr. O'Shea said the songs Bikindi certainly refer to a historical context but that the artist was not a man politically motivated. Arrested in the Netherlands in July 2001, Bikindi, 53, is considered since September 18, 2006. The prosecutor cited 17 witnesses in this case. Defense in 42 states. The last defense witness should be heard Nov. 21.


AT / PB / GF © Hirondelle News Agency

Three Rwandan complaints against a planned documentary on France 2

Three Rwandan complaints against a planned documentary on France 2 click here for original article in French
Paris, June 18, 2011 (FH) - Three Rwandans have filed a complaint referred to the Court of Paris against the documentary "Genocide in Rwanda: the killers among us," whose distribution is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28 by the public television France 2.
The widow of President Habyarimana, Agathe Kanziga, filed the first complaint against the company France Televisions and the production company Tony Committee. She was joined by two other Rwandans interviewed by the director of Manolo Arthuis, as part of a television documentary produced for the show The Great Hunt.
"Our goal is not to condemn or to prevent the spread of this documentary, provides counsel for Agathe Habyarimana, Philippe Meilhac. All that we ask today is to watch it, in order to see whether or not a violation of the presumption of innocence. Despite several requests, we refused it. "
"It took us six months of investigation to make this documentary and film, of course with their consent, three genocide suspects living on French soil," said Manolo for Arthuys.
Agathe Habyarimana was shot "in the presence of his lawyer and two members of his family," while the doctor was Twagira Charles' home and without a lawyer, "and the former Rwandan army officer Marcel Bivugabagabo" in a rectory and without a lawyer, "says the director.
"I received from Mr. Arthuys almost a year ago, I allowed him to see my client continues Me Meilhac. What worries me deeply is that we are on a serious subject, that in terms of process it is at the very beginning, and I am a little surprised at how they present the show. It seems that it is totally dependent. "
A press of France Televisions, cited by the plaintiffs, announced in effect: "Sixteen years after the fact, the Rwandan justice and international justice are tried and sentenced many officials. But how many are still at large? While some are hiding in Africa, others live with impunity in Europe, particularly in France where Manolo for Arthuys found them. "
Another release presents the show The Great Hunt, made a documentary and a discussion moderated by journalist Nicolas Poincaré, as "a collection of five investigative documentaries devoted to men who are or have been, the most sought after in the world. "
On the set of the show's June 28, four guests are scheduled to date for the debate: James Kabale, Ambassador of Rwanda, Alain Gauthier, president of the Collective of plaintiffs for Rwanda (CPCR), Filip Reyntjens, Professor of Law at the University of Antwerp and a journalist, Maria Malagardis.
In their chambers, each of the three complainants argue that none of them is under an indictment before the French courts or prosecution before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Only preliminary proceedings are initiated.
The most famous of them, Agathe Habyarimana, is within the scope of an extradition request issued by Rwanda, which will be heard June 29 in Paris. It is also the subject of a judicial investigation opened in March 2008, following a complaint of the SCRC, in which it is heard as a witness simple.
The former Lieutenant-Colonel Marcel Bivugabagabo has also been a Rwandan extradition request rejected by the court of Toulouse in 2008. The same year, the SCRC has filed a complaint against the former officer. This indicates, in its application for interim relief, since he had "never been heard by an investigator."
The Hirondelle News Agency has learned, however, in January 2010 that Marcel Bivugabagabo was the subject of a "preliminary investigation" during a visit to Rwanda two French investigating judges, and Brigitte Jolivet Nicolas Aubertin.
Charles Twagira for his part in 2007 obtained the status of political refugee in France. He is also the subject of a complaint of the SCRC, filed in the court of Rouen in early 2010 and sent to the court to Paris, where a judicial inquiry was opened. He works as a doctor.
Initially scheduled May 31, the distribution of this document has been extended to June 28, May 26 arrest of former military leader of Bosnian Serbs, Ratko Mladic, then having been a special issue of The Great Hunt.
The three complaints filed with the interim High Court of Paris will be heard as a group, Monday, June 20
Eighteen court records concerning the Rwandan genocide suspects residing on French soil are being educated to the high court of Paris.
PF / GF

Rwanda blocks website of independent newspaper

By: Simon Columbus on 27 June 2011

Posted in Political filtering, Rwanda, Sub-Saharan Africa

Editor of blocked website murdered in Rwanda

Rwanda news Web site blocked after paper suspended

Taking offline censorship online: Rwanda may start filtering

Exactly one year after the murder of independent newspaper Umuvugizi’s deputy editor, the paper's website is again inaccessible in Rwanda. Its editor has just re-launched the paper as an online-only publication.
Last weekend, Umuvugizi went online with a re-launched version of its website, publishing in Kinyarwanda and English. According to reports on Twitter, the site is currently inaccessible in Rwanda.
Umuvugizi has been a constant victim of Internet filtering since the offline publication was suspended for six months in April 2010 by Rwanda’s Media High Council for undisclosed reasons. The suspension effectively prevented the independent weekly from covering that year’s presidential elections in August. Chief editor John Bosco Gasasira fled for exile, first in Uganda, now in Sweden, aiming to ensure continued publication.
Umuvugizi online was launched merely a month after the ruling, prompting immediate threats of censorship by members of the Media High Council who claimed the publication was “defying its suspension”. The website was blocked for the first time by June 3, 2010, perhaps in response to a story about the lavish travel expenses of President Paul Kagame, as the Committee to Protect Journalists speculates.
Umuvugizi’s deputy editor Jean-Leonard Rugambage Cheriff was shot in the capital Kigali on June 22, 2010, in what the newspaper claims to have been an attack by government security forces. Rugambage's alleged killers were later tried and received life sentences, but Umuvugizi continues to claim that these were mere scapegoats.
Converted into an online-only publication, Umuvugizi has faced on-and-off filtering throughout the last year. In early June 2011, the website was again blocked for three days prior to a court ruling that sentenced chief editor Gasasira in absentia to 2.5 years in prison for insulting the president and inciting civil disobedience.
Herdict: Help us track whether Umuvugizi is blocked!
Internet censorship reporting site Herdict allows Internet users to track which sites are blocked in their countries. If you are in Rwanda, please let us know whether you can access Umugivizi.com. You can submit a report via the Herdict reporter or using Twitter or e-mail.

RWANDA:Coalition of Rwandan Community Associations in UK

23rdJune 2011.

Eric Joyce MP Chair

All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region of Africa

House of Commons, 

London, 

SW1A 0AA

 

By email 

 

I am writing to you on behalf of the Coalition of Rwandan Community Association in UK.

The Rwandan regime, distraught by the vigilance of the UK intelligence service in tracking its 

death squads is intent on grooming home grown hit men and women in the UK. Under the 

umbrella of the Rwandan Diaspora Convention Europe 2011, planned for the 22-24 th July 2011,

the regime is sponsoring a 5 day ideological education training for the youth (16-29 years old) “

in what is called

 

Itorero ry’igihugu,  aimed at teaching the history of Rwanda according to “the RPF” ideology” .

The militia training is scheduled to take place at the Apex Centre in Bury St Edmunds in the Suffolk County from the 17th to 24 th July 2011.

 

According to insiders in the Rwandan security apparatus, this will allow the regime’s agents 

to identify candidates suitable for more advanced training as political cum military cadres. 

Once trained ideologically and militarily, the regime would no longer need to send out hit 

squads against critics abroad.  According the official programme, there will be 

“PRESENTATION OF YOUTH AWARDS” from 3:00pm-6:00pm on 22nd July 2011.

 

The president of Paul Kagame is scheduled to address this event.

We believe that such a training falls within the definition of terrorist act under the UK law 

which where the Act "terrorism" means among others the use or threat of action where

 

(a) The use or threat is designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public or a 

section of the public, and

(b) the use or threat is made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological 

cause.

 

The project should be stopped as means of prevention and suppression of terrorist 

activities.

What everyone should be aware of is that the regime of General Paul Kagame

has developed an instinct of self preservation is not short of imagination to make the 

indoctrination process of RPF political ideology look like a patriotic and very progressive 

enterprise. It has used as in the case of Gacaca courts, a traditional institutions Itorero 

ry’igihugu and Intore who woe the public and deceive the international community.

 

To understand the stratagem one needs to look at the choice of names given to the 

ideological school and granduants, namely Itorero ry’igihugu and intore. 

The word Itorero ry’igihugu, a Kinyarwanda word, was borrowed from the traditional 

educational institution for the aristocracy that mentored and cultivated leadership skills.

 

The lessons included History, Philosophy, Sociology, Oral Literature, Applied Ethics, Theology,

Political and Military Sciences, Law, Patriotism, Regional and International Relations. 

The word Intore is given to famous Rwandan dance “Intore, a “dance of heroes”. It is performed 

by men wearing grass wigs and carrying spears. It was a dance performed by returning 

warriors, celebrating victory in battle. At certain stages the dancers stop, with arms outstretched and make blood-curdling battle cries.The training is therefore to produce warriors to fight any dissenting ideology by force. 

 

In Rwanda, this ideological education has been made compulsory. For example in May 2008 local authorities in Gicumbi district in Northern Province sacked over 100 teachers for reportedly refusing to participate in the training that saw over 40,000 primary and secondary school teachers participate: 

 

Let us recall that the word interahammwe which meant “people working harmoniously 

together for a common purpose” referred to Hutu politicians who worked together and 

braved death threats while fighting to exploitative and oppressive monarchical system of 

government. In its creation, the interahamwe were not meant to kill Tutsi but rather formed 

to propagate and defend the political ideas and values of MRND party.

 

Given the past political and violent history of Rwanda and in consideration the recent 

Rwandan government foiled plan by the MI5 to eliminate physically its critics in the UK,

the Rwandan community in UK is extremely worried of the ideological training of Rwandan 

youth in the UK and therefore requests the UK government to impress upon the Rwandan 

High Commission and its affiliated Rwandan community association to stop the training into 

Rwandan into ideological extremism. 

Regards,

 

Noble Marara

Assistant Coordinator 

Email: noblemarara@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

US proposes UN force for Sudan's Abyei

By Sally Kelly
London, (Pal Telegraph) - US introduces UN resolution that would deploy a 4,200-strong Ethiopian peacekeeping force to disputed Abyei region.
The United States has introduced a UN resolution that would deploy a 4,200-strong Ethiopian peacekeeping force to Sudan's disputed Abyei region, the scene of heavy fighting in recent weeks.
Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN, said the resolution will support an agreement signed on Monday by the Khartoum-based government in the north, and the government of south Sudan, to demilitarise the contested border region.

Rice told reporters that the two parties requested the troops to be deployed under UN auspices and called for swift adoption of the resolution by the Security Council so they can get on the ground in Abyei immediately.

"Ultimately, it's obviously up for the Security Council to decide the strength and the mandate of any UN mission,'' she said.

"But the United States, in tabling this draft, has sought to remain faithful to the agreement reached by the parties, which we understand was hard won and inherently fragile.''

She declined to predict how long it would take to adopt the resolution and said that it would not happen overnight.

The violence in Abyei and neighbouring south Kordofan comes as south Sudan prepares to declare independence from the north on July 9, the culmination of a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war that killed about two million people.

The north's invasion of the Abyei region and takeover of the town of Abyei was triggered by an attack on May 19 on northern and UN troops by southern soldiers.

John Temin, of the United States Institute of Peace, spoke to Al Jazeera about the draft resolution and said: "It is important to be very clear that this is a temporary agreement that was reached. The fundamental question of whether Abyei is part of north or south remains unresolved and we are no where closer to resolving that question as a result of this agreement."

What this agreement does is remove some of the northern troops who moved into Abyei several week ago and put in Ethiopan troops to try and calm the situation, Temin said.

Abyei tensions

While south Sudan's independence is expected to take place on schedule, crucial issues remain unresolved.

The areas of debate include: the future of Abyei, which is supposed to be decided in a referendum; the north-south border demarcation; how oil revenues and other resources will be shared; and citizenship.

Rice told reporters that the purpose of the interim security agreement for Abyei is to allow the withdrawal of Sudanese forces not to settle the future of the region.

Violence began in south Kordofan earlier this month when Sudan's military attacked a black community aligned with Sudan's south.

The UN says that about 10,000 people have fled the region to escape the violence.


Source: agencies